


Overheard

by Daegaer



Series: Pretend to be Human [17]
Category: Saiyuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Friendship, Gen, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:28:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24753190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daegaer/pseuds/Daegaer
Summary: Sanzo, Goku and their android attendants keep heading west.
Relationships: Cho Hakkai/Sha Gojyo
Series: Pretend to be Human [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1152416
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	Overheard

"I wish we could just go back to the monastery," Goku said, watching Sanzo meditate after breakfast. As far as Gojyo was concerned, he was taking a nap with a cheap, badly-bound copy of his favourite sutras over his face to protect him from the sun, but what did an android know about religion?

" _Boss. Says. No. Kid,_ " he said, and tossed Goku the last of the fresh rolls. " _Ingest. While. It's. In. An. Unstale. Condition. As. Hakkai. Would. Say._ "

" _To be mocked even by a fellow android,_ " Hakkai said in a long-suffering tone, and Goku grinned, which Gojyo was glad to see. The kid was finally getting back to normality, though he complained at the amount of pills Sanzo put out for him each morning. That was normal, though. Teenage humans complained, it was in their programming. The increasing number of pills – that wasn't normal. Nor the way that Sanzo had been calling them vitamins for the better part of a year, ever since Goku had made his first, mild complaint Gojyo removed it from his attention. He wasn't a medbot, and had no reason to doubt it was all for Goku's benefit.

A brief memory of a much younger Goku came to the top of his memory banks, sitting at a table, swinging his legs as he obediently took the pill Gojyo held out with the glass of milk. It was obviously nothing to worry about, given that the kid had grown up to be a perpetual eating machine.

" _– Hey. Hakkai. Are. All. Human. Youths. Food. Dumpsters?_ "

"Oh, thanks, Gojyo! That's real nice."

" _That's_ really _nice, Master Goku. Ah, yes, Gojyo, if by that you mean that 'Do young humans require a lot of fuel to build their adult forms?'_ "

Gojyo rummaged in the jeep's storage and found a battered iced bun. It was probably edible. He dropped it in Goku's lap.

" _Here. You. Go. Construct. Your. Exoskeleton. Human. Youngling._ "

"It was a real mistake having you watch that stand-up comedy with me," Goku said, then laughed, and took a bite out of the bun. "It's still good, thanks!" He wandered off to sit on a warm, dry rock, taking out his latest novel. This one had a female android in a bikini on the cover; Sanzo had rolled his eyes so hard at it the previous evening that Hakkai had later whispered jokes about damaging one's eyesight.

" _He. Seems. O.K. Don't. You. Think?_ " Gojyo murmured to Hakkai, going to help him pack up the tent.

" _Why wouldn't he be, when he has the three of us to look after him?_ " Hakkai said. " _I believe Goku's fine, Gojyo, there's nothing to worry about. Humans just don't function well if they suddenly stop taking any medication they're used to. Such as an extensive vitamin regime._ " He frowned as the tent absolutely refused to fold itself properly into its box. " _Dear me. Do you think it's annoyed with something?_ "

" _It'll. Be. Annoyed. When. Sanzo. Gets. A. New. Functioning. One. And Throws. This. Garbage. Out,_ " Gojyo said, shoving down on a strut, using just under the pressure it would take to break it. The tent made a rude sighing noise and collapsed quickly. " _See? I. Told. You. It. Understood. Us._ "

" _You've always had an irrational bias against the poor thing, Gojyo. Could you pass me Master Goku's discarded socks, please? How astonishing that one boy could scatter so many over such a distance. I'm sure he usually wears only one pair at a time._ "

" _Can't. Be. Illogical. I'm. Not. Made. That. Way,_ " Gojyo said with his harsh laugh, and stooped to pick up the errant socks. He met Sanzo's eyes, looking out from under the book and went still. If he'd ever been programmed to blink in surprise, he would have.

"Some people might think it's fascinating, listening to what the two of you are like when you think that no one's paying attention," Sanzo said, "but really it's completely mundane and boring." He sat up and pulled his robes up about his shoulders. "We'll go once you've finished packing. Goku! Stop reading that rubbish and do a final check!"

Gojyo and Hakkai bowed. Gojyo wondered what it might feel like to have a heart and for it to be racing. Perhaps the gods _did_ pay attention to androids after all, that he and Hakkai had been talking of completely innocent things for Sanzo to overhear. 

He'd never had to worry about his master hearing his speech with other androids before this journey, before Hakkai had got him alone. He looked at Hakkai, who was stowing the last things in the jeep and walked over to hand him the socks. 

He just had to learn to be more careful about who was listening, to never let his guard down. He relaxed at the thought; he was a security android. He was good at that.


End file.
